Technical Field
One or more embodiments of the present invention relates generally to a paper sheet conveyance device for conveying a paper sheet, such as a bill or the like, by using the airstream generated in the conveyance duct, a paper sheet conveyance device for conveying a paper sheet by being pushed from behind by the conveyance subsidiary body which moves in the conveyance duct by receiving the airstream in the conveyance duct, and a separation/collection device which is provided in the paper sheet conveyance device and which separates the paper sheet from the conveyance subsidiary body and collects the paper sheet and the conveyance subsidiary body.
Related Art
In a gaming machine unit facility including a plurality of sets, each of which includes a game ball lending device for lending game balls (pachinko balls or the like) to a player by receiving the inserted bill and a gaming machine, such as a pachinko machine or the like, a conveyance device for conveying the bill inserted into each game ball lending device to a bill housing stacker provided on the edge part of the gaming machine unit facility is provided along the longitudinal direction of the gaming machine unit facility.
The conveyance device for conveying a paper sheet, such as the bill, includes a conveyance device which generates airstream in a cylindrical conveyance duct by using an air blower and conveys the paper sheet by using the airstream (for example, see Patent Literature 1).
In case of the conveyance device using the airstream, it is necessary to form the entire conveyance path cylindrically. Therefore, a paper sheet capturing device for capturing the paper sheet to be conveyed, which is discharged from the game ball lending device, into the conveyance duct, comprises a cylindrical path part having the same cross section as the conveyance path and is configured to send the paper sheet to be conveyed into the path part. In a gaming machine unit facility, the game ball lending device is provided for each gaming machine, and the paper sheet capturing device is attached to the rear surface of each game ball lending device. By connecting the path part of each paper sheet capturing device with the path part of the adjacent paper sheet capturing device via the conveyance duct on the basis of the path part of the paper sheet capturing device attached to the rear surface of the game ball lending device, the conveyance path extending along the longitudinal direction of the gaming machine unit facility is formed.
In case that the paper sheet, such as a bill, is conveyed by the airstream, in the situation in which the paper sheet is unwrinkled, the airstream flows along the sheet and it is difficult to receive the wind pressure which becomes the propulsive force. Further, by causing the phenomenon that the paper sheet clings to the inner wall, it is difficult to convey the paper sheet. Then, the following conveyance device is adopted. In the conveyance device, a cylindrical conveyance subsidiary body which is moved by the airstream generated in the conveyance duct is sent in the conveyance duct, and the paper sheet is conveyed by pushing the paper sheet from behind by the conveyance subsidiary body (for example, see Patent Literature 2).
In this conveyance device, when the paper sheet is collected, the conveyance subsidiary body is sent in the conveyance duct by a conveyance subsidiary body insertion device provided on the starting side of the conveyance duct. Then, by the separation/collection device provided on the ending side of the conveyance duct, the paper sheet is separated from the conveyance subsidiary body and is collected. Further, in order to repeatedly use the separated conveyance subsidiary body, the conveyance duct has a first half path, a U-shaped turning portion and a second half path. Then, the starting portion of the conveyance duct is arranged near the ending portion of the conveyance duct, and the conveyance subsidiary body collected by the separation/collection device provided at the ending portion of the conveyance duct is automatically sent to the conveyance subsidiary body insertion device provided at the starting portion of the conveyance duct.
As shown in FIG. 33, the above-described separation/collection device comprises a separation unit 80 for passing the paper sheet 6 conveyed by being pushed by the conveyance subsidiary body 16 in the downstream direction and for stopping the conveyance subsidiary body 16 by contacting the conveyance subsidiary body 16 therewith; a tubular path part 96 for receiving the paper sheet 6 output from the passing port 84 of the separation unit 80; a circular conveyance belt 98B which is bridged in the extending direction of the path part 96 along the one inner wall of the path part 96; and a sucking port for sucking the air in the path part 96 from the outside via the rear of the conveyance belt 98B, wherein the paper sheet 6 passing through the passing port 84 of the separation unit 80 clings to the conveyance belt 98B by sucking the air in the path part 96 from the sucking port provided behind the conveyance belt 98B and is conveyed by the conveyance belt 98B to discharge the paper sheet 6 from the ending portion of the path part 96.